CVE-2025-48869: Horilla HRMS Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-48869 Overview

CVE-2025-48869 is a broken access control vulnerability in Horilla, a free and open source Human Resource Management System (HRMS). The vulnerability allows unauthenticated users to access uploaded resume files in Horilla version 1.3.0 by directly guessing or predicting file URLs. These files are stored in a publicly accessible directory, enabling attackers to retrieve sensitive candidate information without any authentication.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can access sensitive candidate resume files containing personally identifiable information (PII) including names, contact details, work history, and potentially social security numbers or other confidential data.

Affected Products

• Horilla HRMS version 1.3.0
• Horilla open source Human Resource Management System

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-09-24 - CVE-2025-48869 published to NVD
• 2025-09-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-48869

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper access control (CWE-284) in Horilla's file storage mechanism for candidate resumes. The application fails to implement proper authentication checks before serving uploaded files, allowing anyone with network access to retrieve sensitive documents. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely without any user interaction or prior authentication, making it particularly dangerous for organizations using Horilla for recruitment purposes.

The impact is primarily focused on confidentiality, as attackers can access sensitive candidate information stored in resume files. This could lead to identity theft, targeted phishing attacks against job applicants, or corporate espionage through access to candidate profiles.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-48869 is the storage of uploaded resume files in a publicly accessible directory without implementing proper access control mechanisms. The application does not validate whether a requesting user is authenticated or authorized to access the requested file resources. Additionally, the file naming scheme appears to be predictable, allowing attackers to enumerate and guess valid file URLs.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by:

1. Identifying the URL pattern used for storing resume files in the Horilla application
2. Enumerating or predicting file URLs based on the naming convention
3. Directly requesting file URLs to retrieve resume documents
4. Extracting sensitive candidate information from the downloaded files

Since no code examples are verified for this vulnerability, technical details can be found in the GitHub Security Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-48869

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP requests to resume file directories from external or unauthenticated sources
• High volume of sequential file access attempts indicating URL enumeration
• Access logs showing requests to /media/ or similar file storage paths without associated session tokens
• Requests from suspicious IP addresses targeting file download endpoints

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web server access logs for unauthenticated requests to file storage directories
• Implement alerting on enumeration patterns such as sequential numeric file requests
• Review HTTP request patterns for direct file access without prior authentication
• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block file enumeration attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all file access requests in the Horilla application
• Set up alerts for anomalous file download volumes from single IP addresses
• Monitor for access patterns indicating automated scanning or enumeration
• Regularly audit access logs for the resume upload directory

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-48869

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict public access to the resume file storage directory at the web server level
• Implement authentication checks before serving any uploaded files
• Move sensitive files outside of the web root directory
• Review access logs to identify potential data exposure

Patch Information

At the time of publication, there is no known patch available for this vulnerability. Organizations using Horilla 1.3.0 should implement the workarounds described below and monitor the GitHub Security Advisory for updates on official patches.

Workarounds

• Configure the web server to deny direct access to the resume upload directory
• Implement a file download proxy that enforces authentication before serving files
• Use non-predictable file naming (UUID-based) to prevent URL enumeration
• Restrict file access to authenticated and authorized users only through application-level controls

# Example nginx configuration to restrict direct file access
location /media/resumes/ {
    internal;
    # Only allow access through authenticated application routes
}

# Example Apache .htaccess to deny direct access
<Directory "/var/www/horilla/media/resumes">
    Order deny,allow
    Deny from all
</Directory>